Crosscurents of Criticism, Horn Book Essays 1968-1977
Boston: The Horn Book Incorporated, (1977). 087675034X. Brick red cloth 8vo. stamped in gold. 359 pp. including index. Book is fine. / Dust jacket has one tiny stain on back but overall fine. Item #705
ISBN: 087675034X
This companion volume to A Horn Book Sampler and Horn Book Reflections contains essays published between the years 1968 and 1977 in The Horn Book Magazine. Far more than a mere collection of articles, it represents a mature formulation of critical thought. Using as a framework his two essays "Out on a Limb with the Critics" and "Coming to Terms with Criticism," Paul Heins has selected contributions which expand and elucidate "the invariable questions that beset the criticism of children's books: the classification, defense, and evaluation of children's literature." Included is the controversial exchange between Eleanor Cameron and Roald Dahl on the validity of the child as critic; Jane Langton's perceptive and original discussion of the fine distinction between fantasy and reality in literature; Alvin Schwartz's remarks on folklore and humor; Mary Orvig's consideration of Swedish books in translation; and treatments of individual titles such as Watership Down, Tom Sawyer, and A Wizard of Earthsea. The result is an "ongoing dialogue' among authors and critics, which transcends a topical approach and will serve to challenge old criteria while inspiring new modes of appraisal.
Price: $20.00